Fort Mason - Current Uses

Current Uses

Some of the old officer housing remains in use by the Army, while some is rented to the public. One of the larger buildings has been converted into a youth hostel, operated by Hostelling International USA.

As a whole, the former post is now a mix of parks and gardens and late nineteenth and early twentieth century buildings that are still in use. A path follows the harbor edge, rising along the headland and offering views north past Alcatraz and west to the Golden Gate Bridge.

A portion of the site, known as the Fort Mason Center, houses the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Artists Gallery, Blue Bear School of Music, City College of San Francisco Art Campus, Long Now Museum and Gallery, Greens restaurant, Readers Bookstore, Magic Theatre, the Mexican Museum, Off the Grid, BATS Improv, San Francisco Children's Art Center, and Museo ItaloAmericano. The Outdoor Exploratorium is located on the Fort Mason Center campus as well as along the northern path on Upper Fort Mason.

The National Park Service headquarters for both the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park are located in Fort Mason.

Operations for the United States Park Police are located in the fort, providing police services for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco and Marin County.